Ladder



.tion.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES e. WORK, OFLANCASTER, OHIO.

LADDER.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 292,150, dated January 15, 1884;

Application filed December 6 1883. (Yo model.) I

ing had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof Eris specifica- My invention relates to improvements n ladders; and it consists in the peculiar construction,combination, and arrangement, hereinafter described and claimed.

In .the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my ladder. Fig. 2 isan edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the rack and pawl. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the rack and its boxing. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the splice of the ladder, as will be described.

The side bars, A A, of my ladder are preferably made of two strips, connected at their ends by the short rodsA', which usually are pointed on their ends, in order to secure a better hold on the ground. The roundsB have their ends pivoted between the strips of the side bars, and the ladder may be fold- .ed after the style of the parallel ruler, so as to bring its side bars close together or wide apart, as shown in full and dotted lines, Fig. 1. On the end of one of the rounds I secure the rack 0,, provided with perforations O, and a boxing or clip, 0 which is placed on the end of the round. The rack moves close to the inner side of one of the side bars,which is perforated in the path of the racksniotion to permit the passage of the point of pawl D. This pawl is preferably made in the form shown, and it consists of the lever D, pivoted on lugs D, and provided on its forward end with the point D This point passes through the side bar of the ladder, and engages the perforations C of the rack O. The opposite end of the lever D is supported by a spring, E, so as to hold the pawl-point normally in engagement with the perforations or notches of the rack. By these devices it will be seen the side bars of the ladder may be locked at any desired position. This enables the ladder to be set in a-true vertical position on an incline with both side bars resting on the ground. This will be readily seen from Fig. 1.

It will be readily seen that where so desired the rack might be secured on the side bar of theladder and the pawl on the round. I prefer, however. to arrange theparts asshown and before described.

In splicing my ladder, secure the adjacent sections, as shown in Fig. 2, one slat of each section being inserted between the two slats of the other, and the parts are secured by the metallic straps F. It will be seen that were the ends of the strips of each section, which are inserted between the strips of the next section, left square, they would be engaged by the rounds of the ladder adjacent to said ends, and would prevent the sidebars being closed snugly up against each other.

termediate strips on their'inner edges, as shown at F in Fig. 5, in which view the outer strip is removed in order to better illustrate the beveled or cut-away port-ions.

My ladder may be folded with its side bars close together when not in use, and may be readily adj ustedto conform to any inequality in the ground surface, with both its side bars resting firmlyon the ground.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a ladder, the combination, with the a rack secured on one of the rounds, and a pawl supported onone of the side bars, and arranged in position to engage the rack, whereby the several parts of the ladder may be locked in. any desired position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a ladder, of the bars composed of two strips and made in sections, one strip of each section having the inner edge of one end cut away or beveled and secured between the two strips of the other section, and the rounds pivoted between the strips of the side barsadjacent the meeting ends of the sections, all arranged and operating, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. YORK.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM DAVIDSON, ARTHUR I. VoRYs.

side bars, and the rounds pivoted thereto, of

To obviate this I cut away the ends of the in- 

